Straying from chronological order (skipping ahead, that is…), we will now take a little mate break to talk about the Gaucho perfumed tea. This is the third one in an ongoing collaborative project between myself and Dawna Ehman, an incredibly knowledgeable woman who has her ways with plants and beauty like no other. Dawna has worked for years with people, plants and plant essences, studying and utilizing both their therapeutic and aesthetic properties. Her connection to nature and her deep understanding of human-plant-environment relationship never ceases to amaze me and I feel blessed and very fortunate to have met her and be able to learn from and work with her.

The concept for the perfumed teas in general was conceived with the launch of Tirzah in June 2007. Later that summer, we sat in a park in Kitsilano after a short walk and I let Dawna smell some of my new creations that I have been working on – among them an earthy sweet vetiver scent, a gardenia soliflore (which turned out to be Gigi which will be launched this spring), and Gaucho – the perfume that I was working on for several years now, and now dreaming up the possibilities of turning it into a perfumed tea with Dawna. All I knew was that it had to be mate based. I was also hoping that the bittersweetness of green will somehow come across it as I was hoping it would in the perfume (I was still struggling at that point though…). I knew Dawna is the only person that will know how…

It wasn’t difficult to decide about launching the perfume and the tea in the spring, for the therapeutic value of the bitter herbs and the ways they work to stimulate the liver after the long winter “hibernation”. The choice of a green, fougere perfume paired with a bitter mate based tea seemed perfect for the beginning of spring and the re-awakening of nature and people.

And yesterday I came face to face with the result. Let me just tell you, by spending 2 hours with Dawna sipping various brews of the Gaucho tea, I’ve learned that the art and science of tea does not begin just in creating the right blend, nor does it end in the tasting. The preparation of the tea itself requires attention to detail, consideration of factors such as the water, its temperature, the temperature of the container used for brewing, the type of herbs or teas brewed, steeping time, the temperature in which the tea is sipped and what to serve it with, to name a few.

The experience of sipping Gaucho was familiar and peculiar at once. It is quite bitter (though not overtly bitter, Dawna took careful care to create a very balanced blend…), and even long after it was sipped, the tea left a sensation in the mouth that was both sweet and tingling. A sensation that is familiar to me from overbrewing lemongrass leaves from my garden back in my home village, and many of the organic tisanes we would brew from fresh herbs in the wild and from our organic gardens.

Of all the perfumed teas it is the most earthy, herbaceous, even medicinal. From all the perfumed teas created for me by Dawna, Gaucho is clearly the most therapeutic one by nature. Just imagine the cleansing your liver gets from drinking this magical herbs… It is, I think, exactly what I need after a winter’s hibernation.

Here are a few tips for how to successfully brew Gaucho to make the most out of it:

1) Use hot water rather than boiled, in order to eliminate some of the bitterness. However, be careful as to not let the water cool too much, this will create a completely “wrong” impression of the tea (emphasizing the spearmint and the lemongrass and making the tea seem too light and almost floral, which was not our intention!).
2) Make sure the teapot is hot. Rinse it with hot water before you add the tea leaves, to make sure the temperatures don’t drop too low as soon as you add the water for steeping.
3) At this point, when you being brewing, you may want to add a pinch (not more!) of green stevia as a sweetener. If you prefer other sweetener such as honey or sugar, add them after steeping. And of course, if you like the bitterness of mate, embrace it unsweetened…
4) Serving suggestion: serve with an apple and rosemary polenta. We couldn’t quite find the recipe to share with you, but the rosemary note will beautifully accompany this perfumed tea. Or any pastry that is not too sweet and has some herbaceous accents…

Fresh herbaceous notes of lemongrass and rosemary highlight bitter green yerba mate and sencha tea leaf to capture the Fougere-like essence of 'sparkling greenery' that is Gaucho. Damiana leaf, spearmint and the true coumarin quality of red clover blossom soften the aromatic finish and taste profile of this beguiling tea.

Gaucho perfumed tea is the perfect balance of spring color and flavor- and in being so, gently and safely stimulates the very activities that support spring's expansive, rising qualities within us. When sweetened with a slight amount of raw sugar or green stevia, Gaucho tea balances the stimulating energetic actions of spring in a form that is unique in quality and pleasure.

Brewing Suggestions
Bring fresh water to a boil. Let sit to cool slightly and infuse 1/2 tsp. of tea for every 5 oz. cup of tea desired. Steep for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain and enjoy. If desired, sweetened with a slight amount of raw green stevia leaf, honey or sugar to bring out the natural sweetness and flavour balance.

Ingredient Listing - All Ingredients 100% Certified Organic
Damiana Leaf - Mexico (Turnera aphrodisiaca)
Lemongrass - Guatemala (Cymbopogon citratus)
Japanese Sencha - Japan (Camellia sinensis)
Green Yerba Mate - Brazil (Ilex paraguariensis)
Rosemary Needles - USA (Mentha spicata)
Spearmint Leaf- USA (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Red Clover Blossom - Canada (Trifolium pratense)

Dawna Ehman is the founder of Inner Alchemy Tea Co and has lectured, taught and written extensively on the intricate relationship between plant energy and human experience. The essence of Dawna’s work arises from a wholistic perspective and is informed by a vision of re-connection with the Natural world. Drawing on her expertise in the plant based healing modalities of herbalism, aromatherapy and flower essence therapy, as well as the art and culture of tea, Dawna creates unique plant based tonics, elixirs and formulas for clients worldwide.

Copyright © 2008 by Dawna Ehman.

Escaping the wet snow outside, I entered Dawna’s cozy apothecary-kitchen. The table was already set with a bamboo tea tray and a glass plate laden with linden and tiny orange-almond cookies. Through the kitchen window, embraced with a yellow curtain, we could still see the snow falling straight to the ground, uninterrupted by wind.

Tea time with Dawna is always special. And when there is a new tea-blend involved, even more so. This time, the occasion was our shared tea-tasting ceremony of Tirzah – the new perfumed tea blend Dawna have created to accompany my linden blossom soliflore. Back in June 2007, when Tirzah was lauched, Dawna has created a limited edition blend of one tin only which she named Flora Linden (which is now available as a limited edition tea directly from Inner Alchemy Tea Co.) . It was lovely and floral, but we felt that it was time to re-visit this concept and re-create a tea that is more representative of Tirzah’s woody-floral-green freshness.

Dawna surprised me with orange-almond cookies that were made by Elsa’s Story in no other place in the world but Nahariya – a beautiful beach city which happens to be the nearest to my village in the Western Galilee… She also surprised me with some ideas for our next tea collaboration: a yerbamate-based tea blend to accompany Gaucho (to be released in Spring 2008). The beautiful dried herbs she showed me all resonate deeply with the green yet sweet coumarin qualities of Gaucho… Aside from peaking your curiousity, I will say no more.

The kettle boiled, and Dawna carefully measured the temperature of the water to ensure the delicate sencha leaves that create the base for Tirzah will not get overexposed to heat and release too much bitternesss. Moments later the clear glass teapot was filled with a gentle brew of flowers and leaves. The hops flowers blossomed in the water, floating beautifully like little ballerinas with green organza dresses…

The tea was than strained and a pure, light green liquid was poured into the delicate clear-glass tea cups. While we waited until the tea cooled down a bit in the cups (which brings out the flavours better), we enjoyed smelling the gentle steam emanating from the cups and marveling at the connection between the tea and the perfume that inspired it. Both have a delicate, lemon-woody-floral feel to them. The greenness is spring like and fresh, and delicate and gentle rather than brash and sharp as greens can often come across.

The tea is very pure and delicately smooth on the palate. Tirzah has a unique floral bouquet, interlacing linden blossoms and leaves, hops flowers and the honeyed, fruity-apricotness of osmanthus blossoms. While the lemon peel has a definite presence in the immediate experience of the tea, it is more floral and woody than being remotely similar to a lemonade… And the sencha leaves (two different kind of organic green Japanese sencha tea leaves were used) create a sophisticated, delicately-green, smooth and only ever so slightly tannin backdrop to this tea-tapestry.

Tirzah tea is perfect and pure and should be served with no additional sweeteners that will mask the subtle complexity of its floral notes. Though I might add that the orange and almond cookes served on the side were fantastic, they are by no means necessary for enjoying this beautiful tea.

And not just because I can, not just because it's the week of the Carnival in Brazil (the one I missed out on...) but also because I find this music to beautifully portray the peacefulness of the tea... And if you have Caetano Veloso & Gal Costa's album "Domingo", that would be even a better accompaniment for this tea...

Tirzah perfumed tea is a delicate floral blend based in organic Japanese sencha green tea. Ingredietns: Organic Japanese sencha tea leaf, Wild Linden Blossom Wild Linden Leaf, Organic Lemon Verbena Leaf, Organic Lemon Peel, Wild Osmantus Blossom, Organic Hops Blossoms. All botanicals are guaranteed certified organic or wildcrafted in a pristine environment and tested for chemical residues. Each tin contains 50gr of loose leaf tea. To prepare: bring water to a boil. Wait a few moments before steeping the tea leaves. Steep 1-1/2 teaspoons in 8oz of boiled water, for 1 minute (if you prefer a stronger tea, you may steep it for 1-1/2 minutes, but no more than 2 minutes to prevent the tea from becoming bitter). Tirzah tea is best served unsweetened, and its flavour improves even more when it cools down to room temperature. It is an excellent meditation tea as well as a light rejuvenating tea to be enjoyed throughout the day.
We are now pleased to offer Tirzah for an introductory price of $20 (regular price is $30), when you order it along with Tirzah perfume as part of our Tea Time Gift Set.